Britain’s ruling Conservative Party is in confusion over its commitment to reduce annual net migration to the tens of thousands, with Prime Minister Theresa May forced to restate the policy after ministers questioned it.
Breitbart London reported Thursday on words by Culture Secretary Karen Bradley, who said immigration is “not about numbers”, despite the party’s longstanding policy.
“What we need is to have the right people, to attract the brightest and best,” she said. “It’s not about putting numbers on it, it’s about making sure we can deliver where industries need skills, where brightest and best want to come to Britain.”
Home Secretary Amber Rudd has also previously been reluctant to back the policy, whilst earlier this week the prime minister herself was forced to make concessions over the inclusion of foreign students in immigration totals.
Speaking on Thursday, however, Mrs. May defended the policy, saying net migration under 100,000 is “sustainable”.
The Times reports that in an election speech in Enfield, North London, Mrs. May said: “We want to see sustainable net migration in this country. I believe that sustainable net migration is in the tens of thousands.
“Leaving the European Union enables us to control our borders in relation to people coming from the EU, as well as those who are coming from outside.”
Her intervention means the policy will now almost certainly be in the party’s manifesto, but questions remain as to how seriously her colleagues will take it and whether it will ever be implemented.
The party first proposed the idea of reducing net migration below 100,000 before David Cameron came to power in 2010.
Immigration continued to rise to record levels, however, especially due to the fact Britain is unable to fully control its borders thanks to its European Union membership.